Covering for him

Evening was drawing near. In the mountains around the Nine Skies Sect, disciples of Ink Cloud Hall searched in groups of three to five. Where no one was watching, Lin Qingyang flashed into view on the northern peak and searched along the cliff.

Beneath a large tree, he finally found a great deal of blood left behind. The light was dim, so Lin Qingyang held up the Windflower Sword to illuminate it. Seeing a black feather stuck to the blood, he picked it up and examined it. He could not tell what bird it belonged to and paid it no further attention.

He followed the blood trail, searching for something. It extended to a large rock a short distance away, where the blood formed a crooked character for "seven." Lin Qingyang's expression said that it was just as he had expected.

"Damn, there really was a clue," Lin Yao said.

"Since Lei Guang didn't die right away, he most likely would have tried to leave a clue before he died!" Lin Qingyang said. Then he swept his hand through the air, using a Cleansing Spell to remove all the blood and the clues on the tree. This had ultimately begun because of him, so he would be the one to end it.

"How did you know he was the one who did it, anyway?" Lin Yao asked curiously beside him.

"Because it didn't make sense," Lin Qingyang said. "When Lei Guang was expelled from the Nine Skies Sect, his cultivation had already been destroyed. Subduing him would have been easy. There was no need to cripple his limbs. Besides, the person behind this turned him into an Otherworldly Demon so it would come to the Nine Skies Sect and kill people. Wouldn't crippling its limbs reduce its fighting strength?"

"When you put it that way, there really is something wrong," Lin Yao said.

"The only reasonable explanation is that the person who crippled Lei Guang and the person who turned him into an Otherworldly Demon were two different people," Lin Qingyang reasoned.

"Did you start suspecting him because of what Mo Yan said?" Lin Yao asked.

Lin Qingyang said nothing, his expression somewhat grave. According to Mo Yan, Qi Mo already hated the Human Clan to the bone. Would the original ending really change? Perhaps he really should do as Lin Yao had suggested and run away early to find somewhere to hide. After all, although Shi Ruobai had lost his memories, there was no guarantee he would not remember someday. As for that little ingrate, Lin Qingyang had done all he could for him. They belonged to different worlds to begin with. Now that his time acting as a proxy was over, they ought to go their separate ways.

As these scattered thoughts ran through Lin Qingyang's mind, he caught sight of a crow perched in a nearby tree, looking toward him. Its red eyes looked rather eerie in the dim light. Lin Qingyang remembered seeing this crow on Greenstone Mountain. He wanted to approach for a closer look, but it suddenly flapped its wings and flew away, soon vanishing into the darkening sky.

Lin Qingyang watched in some puzzlement. Seeing disciples of Ink Cloud Hall searching toward him with lamps a short distance away, he waved his hand. A light flashed, and his figure vanished from the cliff.

The Nine Skies Sect's Library Pavilion stood in a hollow enclosed by mountain walls on three sides. Its design closely resembled the Treasure Pavilion's. Compartments had been carved into the rock, densely packed with ancient books and records, stretching all the way to the top of the mountain walls that towered into the clouds. A faint layer of spiritual power flowed over the surface of each compartment, requiring a secret phrase from a Nine Skies Sect disciple to open it. This layer of spiritual power also protected the books from wind, frost, and rain.

Lin Qingyang floated in the air, examining each level while the Windflower Sword floated beside him and spoke.

"An Otherworldly Demon only appeared once in the original story. When the male and female leads went to the Ten Thousand Demons Forest to slay demons, they passed through an abandoned city called Tianshui City. A half-human, half-demon monster wandered the city all year round. It was just a minor monster, and they dealt with it in the end. As for why Lei Guang became an Otherworldly Demon, my guess is that it was a chain reaction caused by you changing the plot," Lin Yao said.

"With all these books here, why isn't there anything about Otherworldly Demons?" Lin Qingyang said. As he searched, he continued his analysis. "The person who turned Lei Guang into an Otherworldly Demon is probably also the one controlling Chimei behind the scenes. Judging from Chimei's earlier interactions with that little ingrate, they didn't know each other, nor did they seem to have any grudge. Yet Chimei insisted on killing Qi Mo for no reason at all. I used to think this was another case of the plot controlling things, but now it seems very likely that someone else is behind Chimei."

"Qi Mo is just an obscure little demon slave right now. Who would want to kill him?" Lin Yao asked in confusion.

"What's up there?" Lin Qingyang pointed upward. At the very top of one mountain wall was another compartment holding just a few books. Lin Qingyang channeled his spiritual power and continued upward, but just as he was about to reach it, he struck an array and nearly fell.

Lin Qingyang looked at the array in puzzlement. Arrays were set at intervals up the mountain walls. Only after disciples reached a certain level of cultivation could they break through an array and browse the cultivation manuals and secret texts on a higher level. But even Lin Qingyang, an elder, had been stopped. Could only the sect leader read what was up there?

"Up there are the personal writings of our founding ancestor Jiuchen." A voice came from below. Lin Qingyang looked down and saw Shi Ruobai.

"Senior brother." Lin Qingyang returned to the ground.

"People always covet the belongings of famous figures, so a restriction was placed on them," Shi Ruobai said.

"What brings you here, senior brother?" Lin Qingyang asked.

"You never come to see me, so I had to come looking for you," Shi Ruobai said.

Lin Qingyang smiled. "That was negligent of me. How is your recovery coming along, senior brother?"

Shi Ruobai paused before saying, "A-Yang, that is precisely why I came to find you. My cultivation won't recover overnight. I intend to enter seclusion to heal. As for the position of sect leader, I want to pass it on to you."

Lin Qingyang frowned. After all these twists and turns, he was still going to become sect leader? He felt some resistance toward developments connected to the original plot.

"Could we not? There are so many people in the Nine Skies Sect. I'm used to taking it easy. I can't do this," Lin Qingyang asked.

Shi Ruobai sighed. "Of the Nine Skies Sect's current elders, Xiao Lan is simple-natured and knows only how to treat illnesses. Mo Yan is too strict and has a bad temper. As for Jin Buhuan, he got in through connections and can't beat anyone in a fight. Our sect may look well populated, but few of its people are actually dependable. You're the only one I can count on, junior brother."

"When you put it that way, I really can't argue," Lin Qingyang said, at a loss for words. After thinking it over, he added, "How about this? I'll temporarily act as sect leader for you during this time, and hand the position back when you come out of seclusion."

Shi Ruobai looked at Lin Qingyang in surprise, then smiled. "I thought you were just humoring me before. It seems you really don't care anymore."

Lin Qingyang smiled. "Of course. I never just humor people."

Shi Ruobai froze, then looked at Lin Qingyang rather strangely. "You seem to have changed a great deal."

Lin Qingyang paused, then immediately composed himself. "It's been so many years. No one stays the same forever."

"True." Shi Ruobai nodded. Seeing that he had not grown suspicious, Lin Qingyang silently breathed a sigh of relief.

Shi Ruobai looked upward again. "You used to be very curious about what was up there. You tried all sorts of ways to break through the restriction. Once, you blew up more than half this place, and Master gave you a severe beating."

"You certainly remember my embarrassing moments clearly, senior brother," Lin Qingyang said with a smile. "By the way, how long do you plan to stay in seclusion?"

Shi Ruobai seemed distracted. It took him a long while to come back to himself. "Probably two or three years."

Lin Qingyang silently calculated. Two or three years was manageable. It should not have too great an effect on the upcoming plot. He did not notice Shi Ruobai gazing at him with a dazed expression beside him.

"Now that we've finished talking, I'll head back." Shi Ruobai turned to leave as he spoke. His steps were somewhat hurried, and he stumbled.

"Senior brother?" Lin Qingyang stepped forward to support him.

Shi Ruobai looked up at him with a complicated expression. He took his hand and gave it a firm squeeze before managing a faint smile. "I'm all right. I'll leave the Nine Skies Sect in your hands."

With that, he turned and left. Lin Qingyang watched him in puzzlement. Perhaps it was because he had spent too long bedridden, but Shi Ruobai's retreating figure looked terribly thin, as though a gust of wind could make him disappear.